Patrick Beverley

New CBA Will Benefit Role Players

Rockets co-player representative Patrick Beverley hears that the new collective bargaining agreement will be kinder to role players, Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle relays. The new agreement is expected to included a 50 percent increase for the veteran’s minimum salary and for cap exception deals.

“All due respect to all the superstars who are kind of the face of the league, me and [Trevor Ariza, the team’s other co-player representative] talked about the glue guys, the utility guys that you need on your team, make the team possible,” said Beverley. “We know we’re not out there scoring big points, but we do do other things that don’t show on the stat sheet from a business and financial standpoint, we’d like to be rewarded for those things. 

“According to the players’ union, the new deal that is set in place helped the glue guys, the utility guys, the blue collar guys … to be able to benefit from this game also.”

In addition to the above changes, restricted free agents will be permitted to sign on the first day of free agency, according to Feigen. The waiting period for teams to match opposing offers on RFAs will be reduced from three to two days and teams will no longer be able to rescind qualifying offers.

Southwest Notes: Holiday, Beverley, Dekker, Davis

The Pelicans will use point guard Jrue Holiday for less than 30 minutes in his first game, tweets Justin Verrier of ESPN.com. Coach Alvin Gentry originally said 35 minutes was the limit, but he revised that down today. Holiday will return to the court Friday after taking a leave of absence to care for his ailing wife.

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

  • The Rockets will welcome injured point guard Patrick Beverley back Thursday, posts Calvin Watkins on ESPN Now. Beverley, who underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee October 25th, will immediately be inserted into the starting lineup.
  • The Rockets are still trying to set a firm rotation after several offseason changes, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. The latest move saw Sam Dekker being used as a backup at both forward slots Monday, reducing the minutes for K.J. McDaniels. More changes will come when Beverley is ready. “We’re still trying to hunt and peck a little bit, try to whittle down the rotation,” said coach Mike D’Antoni. “… Then, we’ll have to put Pat in and see how that changes things up. It’ll be a little bit of a process for a couple, three weeks and then we’ll settle in. Obviously, Pat, it will take him a week or so to get the rust off. But he’ll pick up 30 minutes. That’s a big chunk of playing time he’ll be good at.”
  • Grizzlies rookie Deyonta Davis has already cracked the rotation sooner than expected and he may be ready to earn more playing time, suggests Ronald Tillery of The Commercial Appeal. Davis had the team’s highest plus-minus rating in Monday’s win at Utah and is quickly making an impression on his veteran teammates. “I like him very much. His upside is tremendous,” Marc Gasol said. “He cannot be satisfied with one play or one quarter or one season. He’s got to be more and more. He’s got to be hungry. That’s the mindset he’s got to have and I’m going to help him. He can help me win and I’m going to help him be better.”

Southwest Notes: Beverley, Holiday, Hill, Mavericks

After missing the first part of the season with knee problems, Rockets guard Patrick Beverley plans to be ready next week, relays Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Beverley had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee October 25th. Doctors expected him to be sidelined four to six weeks, but he vowed to return earlier. Houston has games scheduled for Monday, Wednesday and Thursday, and Beverley didn’t specify which one will mark his comeback. “I’m completely healed,” Beverley said. “I did a lot of contact [Friday]. I’ve been getting a lot of contact. It’s up to me to get my rhythm. I don’t want to come in and play limited minutes. When I come back, I’m going to be full force. I can’t say what coach is going to do or how many minutes I’m going to play. But when I come back, I come back to play an overtime, a double overtime game.”

There’s more news out of the Southwest Division:

  • The Pelicans are still waiting for confirmation that Jrue Holiday will be returning soon, according to William Guillory of The Times-Picayune. A published report Friday indicated that Holiday, who has taken a leave of absence to care for his ailing wife, will be back next week. However, coach Alvin Gentry cautions that nothing is definite until Holiday provides confirmation. “We’re anticipating him coming back real soon, but we don’t have any answers until we hear back from Jrue and his people,” Gentry said. “When we hear from Jrue and his people, that’s when it’ll become official. We want him back as soon as we possibly can, but we’ll only know that when Jrue and his agent say, ‘Hey, he’s ready to come back and this is when he’s gonna be back’.”
  • Gentry likes how Solomon Hill performed Thursday in his first game off the bench, relays Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com. Hill came to New Orleans in July on a four-year, $48MM contract and began the season as a starter. “He was a little more comfortable in that situation, and it gave him more opportunity to do a little more with that second group than he would with the first group,” Gentry said.
  • A slow start hasn’t changed the Mavericks‘ goal of making the playoffs, writes Eddie Sefko of The Dallas Morning News. Free agent addition Seth Curry and rookie Dorian Finney-Smith have helped right the ship after an 0-5 start, and the Mavs are looking forward to getting injured stars Dirk Nowitzki and Deron Williams back in the lineup. “This is a playoff organization,” said Justin Anderson. “But it’s way early in the season. Once Dirk gets healthy and D-Will gets back and we start rolling with those guys, I wouldn’t be surprised with the talent we have if we start reeling off some wins in a row.”

Western Notes: Nowitzki, Rubio, Beverley

Mavs big man Dirk Nowitzki, who is recovering from a strained right Achilles tendon, told Marc Stein of ESPN.com, that he has resumed on-court work as he moves toward a return to the lineup. “It’s definitely better, but I really haven’t done much yet,” Nowitzki told Stein. “Today was good, but we didn’t go anything close to full speed. Just started moving on the court a bit. We don’t want to rush anything and go back to where we were last week. So if I feel anything this weekend, they’re going to ease off again. Obviously I want to play in the Garden on Monday [against the Knicks] and I want to play in Boston [on Wednesday] — two of my favorite road spots. But I just don’t know at this point if it’s going to happen.

Here’s more from out West:

  • Ricky Rubio, who has been out of action after suffering a sprained right elbow, may be nearing a return after practicing with the Wolves today, the team announced (via Twitter).
  • Rockets guard Patrick Beverley, who underwent knee surgery last month, could be cleared to return to practice as early as next week, Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com reports (Twitter link). If that is indeed the case, Beverley could be back in Houston’s rotation by the end of November, Watkins adds.
  • James Harden has been impressive for the Rockets under new head coach Mike D’Antoni, but despite the guard putting up NBA-worthy numbers for Houston, the team still has work to do in order to be considered contenders, Oliver Maroney of Basketball Insiders writes. “We pretty much think James can do anything in Houston,” Morey told Basketball Insiders. “We’re happy he is showing it but we aren’t focused on it – we’re trying to improve the defense and get more wins. James is playing great. He’s the leader we need to go deep into the playoffs.”
  • Lance Stephenson, who was recently waived by the Pelicans after sustaining an injury, was a “model citizen” during his time in New Orleans, team sources told Stein in a separate article.

Beverley Plans Early Return From Knee Surgery

Rockets guard Patrick Beverley has set a goal of November 15th-21st to return from knee surgery, tweets Mark Berman of Fox 26.

Beverley underwent the arthroscopic procedure on his left knee on Tuesday and was projected to be out of action for four to six weeks. However, Calvin Watkins posts on ESPN Now that Beverley started lifting weights with the knee today and plans to begin running this week.

Beverley told Berman it was “very difficult” to be sidelined by the injury, but he understands he has to be “professional” and focus on being ready for the rest of the season (Twitter link).

Cavaliers Rumors: Shumpert, Point Guards, Jack

A report last Friday suggested that the Timberwolves and some other teams have inquired about the availability of Iman Shumpert, and weren’t exactly rebuffed by the Cavaliers. Although it’s true that Cleveland is answering the phone, the team isn’t actively looking to move Shumpert, a team source tells Joe Vardon of Cleveland.com. Vardon adds that Shumpert would only be dealt for a player who improves the Cavs.

While it may simply be a matter of semantics, at least one NBA general manager was surprised to read that the Cavs aren’t “actively” shopping Shumpert, according to Sam Amico of AmicoHoops.net, who says a GM texted him about the report. “Guess I’m not sure what actively means,” the GM said. “That’s news to me and probably about six other (team executives).”

While the Cavs mull their options with Shumpert, let’s check out a few more items out of Cleveland…

  • Cleveland is believed to be in the market for a backup point guard, and veteran free agent Jarrett Jack looks like a decent fit, but the club only has a “passing interest” in Jack, a league source tells Amico.
  • Within his previously-linked mailbag, Vardon is asked about free agent point guards Jameer Nelson and Andre Miller as possible targets for the Cavaliers. Per Vardon, there are no indications that either Nelson or Miller is receiving interest from the team. The Cleveland.com scribe suggests Rockets guard Patrick Beverley is a possible trade target worth keeping an eye on, but adds that the Cavs will play Shumpert and DeAndre Liggins behind Kyrie Irving for now.
  • Having played for Canada this summer in a bid to earn a spot in the Olympics, Cavs big man Tristan Thompson was disappointed that several of his fellow countrymen weren’t on the roster, and hopes they’ll join the team for future competitions. Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal has the quotes from Thompson, along with the details on how the experience helped him.

Southwest Notes: Holiday, Demps, Beverley

Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday remains on a leave of absence to care for his wife and newborn daughter, and his representatives have provided an update on the family. In a statement posted on the team’s website, Glushon Management says Lauren Holiday had surgery to remove a brain tumor earlier this month at Duke University Hospital. The couple’s daughter, who was born in September, is “healthy and at home with her family.” The Pelicans have given Holiday permission to remain away from the team for as long as necessary to take care of his family.

There’s more news from the Southwest Division:

  • Pelicans GM Dell Demps will probably get some time to see if his 11 offseason roster additions can be successful, writes Jeff Duncan of The Times-Picayune. Demps kept his job after the 2014/15 season when the organization fired Monty Williams as head coach, and Duncan doesn’t see this as a make-or-break year. The only exceptions could be if the Pelicans get off to a disastrous start like they did in 2015/16 or if Demps’ contract, the details of which haven’t been made public, expires at the end of the season. New Orleans hired former Hawks GM Danny Ferry as a special advisor over the summer.
  • The Rockets are preparing to start the season without point guard Patrick Beverley and power forward Donatas Motiejunas, posts Calvin Watkins on ESPN Now. Beverley will have surgery Tuesday on his injured left knee and is expected to be out of action four to six weeks. Motiejunas is a restricted free agent and remains unsigned three days before the team’s opener. “Taking two guys who can play 60 minutes, 30 each, who aren’t here, it’s going to have an impact,” said Rockets coach Mike D’Antoni.
  • Small forward Troy Williams appears on the verge of earning a roster spot with the Grizzlies, writes Michael Wallace of NBA.com. After going undrafted out of Indiana, Williams signed a two-year deal with Memphis in late July with a $150K guarantee. He was the top preseason scorer among rookies at 13.2 points per game and led the Grizzlies in scoring three times.
  • D.J. Stephens, who was waived by the Grizzlies Saturday, may opt to play overseas instead of playing for the team’s D-League affiliate, Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal reports (Twitter link).

Patrick Beverley To Undergo Surgery

The Rockets will lose starting point guard Patrick Beverley for at least three weeks as the player will undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left knee, Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical reports. The procedure is scheduled for early next week, Wojnarowski adds. Coach Mike D’Antoni was a touch more pessimistic in his prognosis, telling Calvin Watkins of ESPN.com that he expects to be without the guard for at least 20 games. If Beverley is indeed in street clothes for 20 contests, that projects to a return the first week of December.

Beverley has only appeared in one preseason game for the team this season as a result of the injury. A report last week from Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders suggested that the injury wasn’t too severe and that team doctors weren’t quite sure what the exact issue with Beverley’s knee was. The player then sought a second opinion and the result was surgery being recommended.

The loss of Beverley means that James Harden will slide over to the point guard spot and offseason signee Eric Gordon, who has an extensive history of injuries throughout his career, will be inserted into the starting lineup at shooting guard. Beverley, 28, averaged 9.9 points, 3.4 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game in 2015/16 for the Rockets. Houston will certainly miss his tenacious defense during his absence, an area the team is already weak in, even when Beverley was in the lineup.

Injury Notes: Beverley, Davis, Williams

Patrick Beverley has missed the past four preseason games with knee irritation and a source tells Calvin Walkins of ESPN.com that he may have surgery on his left knee. Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders tweets that the injury is not severe and Beverley is seeking a second opinion, as team doctors are not exactly sure what is wrong with the knee. Beverley was penciled in as the starter for the Rockets and in his absence, coach Mike D’Antoni has played James Harden at the point guard position.

Here’s more injury news from around the league:

  • The Pelicans believe Anthony Davis will be available to play on opening night and the team is strongly considering letting him play in the team’s final preseason game on Thursday night, Ramona Shelburne and Marc Stein of ESPN.com pass along. Davis practiced today without any issue with his injured ankle, the pair of ESPN scribes relay.
  • Marvin Williams has a non-displaced fracture in his left middle finger, according to the HornetsTwitter feed. He will remain out until at least next Tuesday, at which time he will be reevaluated.
  • Aron Baynes suffered a broken nose during Tuesday’s practice and he underwent surgery on it shortly after, according to a Pistons‘ press release. Baynes will not play in tonight’s preseason game.

Sixers Rumors: Free Agency, Rubio, Beverley

The Sixers have generally steered clear of the free agent market, particularly when it comes to high-priced players, during their lengthy rebuilding process, but that approach could change this year. The team reportedly has “serious” interest in Harrison Barnes, who may be in line for a max contract, and agents who have spoken to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News suggest there’s a different vibe around the team this summer.

“By all indications, they’re going to be aggressive, and I think once you get past that first tier of free agents, you are going to have a perfect storm in Philadelphia that is going to make players want to go there,” one agent told Deveney. Brett Brown is a good coach. They’ve got money. They’ve got playing time available. I mean, it couldn’t be a more different situation than what we’re used to.”

Here’s more on the Sixers, via Deveney:

  • More on the Sixers, from another player agent: “I’ve got guys who tell me they want to going there. I mean, excited to go there. It’s a different approach.”
  • Philadelphia isn’t expected to pursue top-tier free agents like Al Horford, but the team will be willing to gamble on young guards and wing players who could command large salaries, like Barnes. A source confirmed to Deveney that the Sixers do indeed plan to show interest in Dion Waiters and Allen Crabbe, as we’ve heard this week.
  • Evan Fournier and Jordan Clarkson are two more free agents who may receive consideration from the 76ers, but both players are restricted FAs and will be difficult to pry away from their current teams, writes Deveney.
  • The Sixers are expected to pursue “one or more point guards” on the trade market, according to Deveney, who says the team explored a possible deal for Ricky Rubio on draft night. Such a deal would have had to be a three-way trade to get the Timberwolves the veteran help they were seeking.
  • Per Deveney, Philadelphia has also expressed some trade interest in Patrick Beverley, whom the Rockets have reportedly shopped.